Find out how popular the last name Sidwell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sidwell.

Sidwell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sidwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sidwell in America

Sidwell is the 11500th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sidwell surname appeared 2,736 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sidwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sidwell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sidwell

The surname Sidwell is believed to have originated in England. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "sid," meaning wide or large, and "well," referring to a spring or stream. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a large well or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Siduuelle." This entry likely refers to a place name rather than a surname, as hereditary surnames were not widely used until after the Norman Conquest.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of "Sidwell." In 1273, a William Sidwell was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. This is one of the earliest known examples of the surname being used by an individual.

During the Middle Ages, the Sidwell family seemed to have been concentrated in the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire. The name appears in various records from these areas, such as the Somerset Feet of Fines from 1330, which mentions a John Sidwell.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir Ralph Sidwell, a 15th-century English knight and landowner. He was born around 1420 in Gloucestershire and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1472.

Another prominent figure was Henry Sidwell, a 16th-century Anglican clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton from 1567 until his death in 1598. He played a role in the religious reforms of the Elizabethan era.

In the 17th century, Thomas Sidwell (1624-1679) was a prominent English Puritan minister and author. He served as the rector of St. Olave's Church in London and wrote several religious works.

The Sidwell name also spread to other parts of England, as evidenced by the birth of Richard Sidwell in Yorkshire in 1698. He later became a successful merchant and landowner in the area.

One of the more notable figures in the 19th century was William Sidwell (1815-1890), a British architect and surveyor. He was responsible for designing several public buildings and churches in London and the surrounding areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sidwell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sidwell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sidwell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sidwell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sidwell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sidwell, please contact us.

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